Utility and industrial plants such as power plants, electricity generation plants, waste-to-energy facilities, cement kilns, and other facilities firing fossil fuels such as coal or oil can be configured to capture sulfur dioxides and other acid gases to help ensure clean and environmentally sound power generation. Traditionally, compliance with air emissions limits is achieved through the use of a wet or dry flue gas desulfurization system. Such industrial plants could also include a carbon dioxide capture system to help reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Examples of systems that can be utilized in utility plants to reduce acid gas emissions or carbon dioxide emissions can be appreciated from U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,623,314, 8,293,200, 7,862,788, and 7,846,240, U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2010/0083831, 2010/0170397, 2012/0258031, 2013/0092026, 2013/0186272 and 2013/0255495 and International Publication No. WO 2013/144899.
Operating costs and capital costs associated with operation of systems configured to reduce acid gas emissions and carbon dioxide emissions can be relatively high. The relatively high costs associated with such systems can be necessary to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of such systems complies with air emission limits to ensure clean and environmentally sound power generation.